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Jaenicke, Adolph

1860-1948, born in Berlin, Germany, hired by Col. David N. Foster to be Superintendent of Parks. See 1860-1948 Adolph Jaenicke on The Cultural Landscape Foundation tclf.org which has more information on other parks and designers.

Jenkins, Mary Fairfield

Came to Fort Wayne in 1833 before the canals or railroad. Obituary in the The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette January 30, 1916 was posted on
the original Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne, Indiana page on Facebook.

Jewish Community

Beginning in the late 1700's, Jewish fur traders lived in the Fort Wayne area. The first known Jewish resident was John Jacob Hayes, appointed by President James Monroe to serve as Indian Agent. He lived in Fort Wayne from 1820-1823. Jewish immigrants from Germany began to arrive in Fort Wayne around 1830. They worked as peddlers, merchants and craftsmen. By 1848, there was a sufficient number of Jews to form the first Jewish congregation in Indiana, The Society for Visiting the Sick and Burying the Dead. In 1861, the congregation changed its name to the Synagogue of Unity and Peace (Congregation Achduth Vesholom), affiliating with the Reform Movement in May 1874. Read the rest copied February 13, 2017 from Our History The Fort Wayne Jewish Community on Jewish Federation of Fort Wayne website.

Johns, Alfred Lee

Fort Wayne, circa 1890 - Alfred Lee Johns (1850-1936), grew up in the saddlery business of his father and by the early 1880s owned A. L. Johns and Company, seen here at 51-53 East Columbia Street (this building is now gone and the site of Friemann Square). The company manufactured harnesses, as well as sold robes, blankets, nets, whips, and curry combs. In about 1895-96 the business moved into the new Bash Building at 130-132 West Columbia Street, in what is now The Landing Fort Wayne. See the comments for a picture their later building. (The Indiana Album: Kevin Kastner Collection). Copied from a November 13, 2018 post with the 1890 Kevin Kastner Collection photo by the Indiana Album on Facebook.

Johnston, Elizabeth

On September 22, 1807 Elizabeth Johnston was born in blockhouse #1, Fort Wayne, IN. At the time Fort Wayne was still, literally, a fort. She would have come into the world when her father John was US Factor to the Indians. Her earliest years would have been spent in the company of her brother Stephen, for her sister, Rebecca, died approximately 6 months before she was born. This made Elizabeth, the eldest daughter of the family. As such, as a young girl and teen, she seems to have been the little 'mommy' to her younger siblings. ... Elizabeth was married on her sixteenth birthday to John Davies Jones, ten years her senior, in the Upper Piqua farmhouse September 22, 1823. Copied from item 3. ELIZABETH JOHNSTON JONES a February 21, 2017 post by Johnston Farm & Indian Agency on Facebook.

Johnston, John

Born on 25 March 1775 near Ballyshannon in the North of Ireland. In 1802, President Thomas Jefferson appointed him as an Indian agent at the new trading agency in Fort Wayne. He married Rachel Robinson on 15 July 1802 in Lancaster, Ohio, see July 8, 2017 post with photo on Johnston Farm & Indian Agency on Facebook. Their honeymoon consisted of an app. 850 mile, two and a half month trip from Pennsylvania to Fort Wayne where John Johnston was to be a Factor for the government, meaning he would run a store where he handled trade with the Indians. On September 4, 1802 goods were purchased and forwarded for the Factory. They came by way of New York, Albany, Buffalo, Lake Erie, and the Maumee River. Their arrival was delayed until May 4 and 12th of the following year. Very few sales took place that year. Total value of this shipment was $13,320. From longer July 12, 2017 post on Johnston Farm & Indian Agency on Facebook. Their first 4 children, of 15, were the first all-white children to be born at Fort Wayne before Indiana became a state in 1816. Read more on John Johnston (Indian agent) on Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. In 1811 he transferred to the new Indian agency at Piqua, Ohio. His Johnston Farm and Indian Agency is a local attraction and posts photos and stories on Facebook. September 22, 1807 Elizabeth Johnston was born in blockhouse #1 Fort Wayne before Indiana became a state in 1816. See photos on February 10, 2016 Facebook post for Johnston Farm and Indiana Agency. July 1, 1802 John Johnston was appointed Government Factor in Fort Wayne with pay of $1000 per year and three rations a day, plus $365 for subsistence paid from at the Factory from trade. That same year Little Turtle traveled to Washington to speak with President Jefferson. William Wells traveled with the Turtle and translated for him. Copied from discussion with drawing and key of locations around the old fort posted July 4, 2017 on Johnston Farm & Indian Agency on Facebook. A September 21, 2017 Johnston 101 lesson post discusses about 3,000 Indians on March 25, 1814 order for necessaries near Fort Wayne.

Johnston, Rachel Robinson

Rachel J. Robinson, wife of John Johnston, arrived at Fort Wayne in 1802 where she would became the mother of the first all-white children born at Fort Wayne. She later moved with her husband to Ohio and died at Upper Piqua, Ohio July 24, 1840 in the 56th year of her age. “In early times my father was appointed as s. factor at Fort Wayne Indiana. Thither he took my mother, a young girl of sixteen, who for his sake abandoned the ease and refinement of the city of Philadelphia to abide with him in the wilds of the west. She traveled the whole distance, 1000 miles on horseback. At Fort Wayne she was a light in the path of the ladies of the garrison whose vices she reproved without hesitation, and while taking on herself the task of a censor, she avoided making herself odious; so kind was her heart that everyone, the soldiers not excepted, loved her. Copied from the Family Record shown in a July 24, 2018 re-post of the February 9, 2017 post by Johnston Farm & Indian Agency on Facebook from the Johnston Family Bible located at Johnston Farm, Piqua, Ohio transcribed May 2003 by Marla Fair.

Johnston, Rosanna

Born in Fort Wayne on July 2nd, 1809. Her 1844 obituary states ‘the deceased had been as child of affliction from infancy’. Toward the end of her life she suffered epileptic fits. Rosanna died suddenly at home on August 11, 1844. She was 35. Copied from 4. ROSANNA JOHNSTON a February 22, 2017 post by Johnston Farm & Indian Agency on Facebook.

Johnston, Stephen

Johnston, Russell K.

86, of Monroeville, Indiana passed away at 6:58 p.m. on Saturday, March 23, 2013 at Lutheran Hospital of Indiana. He was born on February 16, 1927 in Lima, Ohio to the late Paul R. Johnston and the late Hazel I. (Stevenson) Johnston. He married Helen J. Wagner on July 8, 1949 in Morganfield, Kentucky and she passed away on March 29, 2004. A baseball coach, he was recently inducted into the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame. He is survived by daughter, Kathy “Koce” Johnston of Fort Wayne, Indiana; son, Randy P. (Patti) Johnston of Angola, Indiana; daughter, Tracy L. (Mark) Lester of Monroeville, Indiana; twelve grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a sister, Jean F. Barkley Leavitt and a half-brother, Harold Johnston. From his Zwick & Jahn Funeral Home obituary.

Jones Eighth Annual Family Reunion

Jordan, Rev. Ternae

During his 15 years in Fort Wayne, Jordan was pastor of Greater Progressive Baptist Church – and much more. Was in the story Where are they now? Success follows former area newsmakers to their new locales by the editorial page staff published January 6, 2013 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.

Jordan, Justin

South Side High School graduate, served as a graphics production assistant in the 2015 Oprah Winfrey film, “Selma.” His wife, Charity, an aspiring actress and Atlanta native, landed the role of Viola Lee Jackson. Read more in Work on 'Selma' a blessing for city native by Paul Wyche published January 9, 2015 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.

Jordan, Vernon

The CNN (Cable News Network) on their first broadcast June 1, 1980 at 6 p.m., was live in about a million and a half U.S. households covering the shooting of Civil Rights leader Vernon Jordan in Fort Wayne. President Jimmy Carter visited him in his room at Parkview Hospital. See Jim Walton: CNN at 30. "On May 29, 1980, civil rights leader and National Urban League chairman Vernon Jordan, Jr., was walking with a white woman when he was wounded by sniper fire in a Fort Wayne parking lot. A few months later, avowed racist and serial killer Joseph Paul Franklin was arrested in Kentucky for armed robbery. A lead suggested that Franklin might be linked to the Jordan shooting. Indianapolis agents studied Franklin’s handwriting and found similar styles in alias signatures from motel registration cards. The FBI Laboratory corroborated the handwriting match; however, Franklin denied involvement and was acquitted of the charges. Nevertheless, 14 years later, Franklin admitted shooting Jordan." formerly posted on Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne, Indiana with a photograph. Also mentioned in A Brief History 1980s and 1990s The FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Indianapolis Division web page. Also see Vernon Jordan on Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. See The shooting of Vernon Jordan Former Fort Wayne Mayor Win Moses recalls Dr. Jeffrey Towles’ life saving role by William Bryant Rozier published February 25, 2016 on Frost Illustrated.com. The program for the May 28, 1980 dinner was posted January 24, 2018 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Closed group on Facebook. See newspaper articles posted and discussed February 13, 2018 on I grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana on Facebook.

Joyner, Deborah

February 22, 2019 Facebook post by the Fort Wayne Police Department stated: Continuing our recognition of Black Officers during Black History Month we honor the first female black Captain of the Fort Wayne Police Department;Captain Deborah Joyner. Captain Joyner was commissioned on September 25, 1981. During her career she served as an Officer in the Southeast Division and as a detective in the Vice/Narcotics Division and Juvenile Affairs Division of the Detective Bureau. She was promoted to Sergeant in June 1999 and served in the Southeast Division She was promoted to Captain in January 2014 and served in the Community Relations Division until her retirement in September 2018.

Joyner, Michael

June 7, 2019 as Public Information Officer and face of the Fort Wayne Police Department, he officially retired with over 20 years of service to the community. Several photos were posted June 7, 2019 by the Fort Wayne Police Department on Facebook.